Out the Window

“Out!”

“But I’ve got to finish my float potion-”

“Don’t care! Out!”

“What about the preservative powders? Bolt storage crystals? You said this morning we needed a dozen dancing light displays-”

“I meant for next week! Freniden Brusan, you’ve been the ideal, hard-working student for far too long. Now as you wizardly Master, I’m ordering you to go spend a few hours out of our workshop, out of this Tower, and out of my hair!”

“But-” The gate was slammed in his face before Fren could continue. Huffing a sigh, the boy turned and stomped off down the street. If his obvious anger wasn’t enough to clear people from his path, the green fifth-year apprentice belt was.

By the time he’d reached the crowded Trader Square, Fren had calmed down enough to become nervous. In five years of living in Sarantan City, the former farm boy had never explored the massive city on his own. Now his senses were swamped by the sheer amount of incoming newness: loud-mouthed merchants, pushy purchasers, harried hagglers; it was all so disorienting.

Finally, Fren managed to squeeze himself out of the Square and into a dim alleyway, trying to catch his breath. The roar of the multitudes was muted here, as near to peaceful quiet as he was likely to find. Then there was a crash from above. A second floor window was being kicked apart directly over him, to Fren’s amazement. However, his curiosity turned to horror when the person doing it jumped out.

“YAH!”

“AHH-!”

WHUMP. Unable to move himself quickly enough, Fren was flattened by the falling form. He wheezed out a curse before the person rolled off of him.

“Oops. Sorry there, kid.” Taking in the youthful face that watched him with concern, Fren responded with as much venom as he could muster.

“What did you do that for?” He spit out.  The youth started to answer when a voice above cut them off.

“Down there! He’s got an accomplice!”

“Uh-oh, time to run again. Come on, kid!” Fren’s hand was grabbed, and his next words of Who are you calling kid? were lost in a sudden sprint. Pulled back into Trader Square, he followed as they went on a wild dance through the crowd, around display stalls, and once over a hay wagon. Then they became, to Fren, hopelessly lost in a maze of side streets and alleys.

The pair didn’t stop until slipping into an abandoned shop that overlooked the river, where the stranger opened a secret panel in the floor. Too tired to care, Fren accepted the bottle that was handed to him and took a swig. The mouthful of burning liquid set him to coughing uncontrollably.

The kid crouching next to him just grinned. “Tastes terrible, I know, but that potion will get you back on you feet in a minute.”

“What in name all the gods is this? And who are you? What were you doing back there-” Fren’s tumble of questions were halted when the stranger pulled off the big overcoat that hidden a slender body. “Hey- you’re a girl!”

“And you’re a wizardling. Anything else?” Now she took off the wide brimmed hat and let long blonde hair tumble down. “My name’s Tali. Yours?”

“Uh, Fren. Fren Brusan. Where’d did you get this?”

“My grandfather’s old stash. He’s a former soldier.”

“... Well, the supply’s obviously gone bad, if it’s supposed to be a Restorative formula. Mine taste a lot better. But why did we run halfway across the city?”

“I was sneaking around the temple of Nikheen, and some soldiers thought I was there to steal stuff. So, I ran, they chased, and here we are. And that wasn’t anywhere near half the city.”

“Oh.” His face flamed with embarrassment. “I don’t get out much.”

“Then you should see more.” Tali jumped to her feet and pulled him up as well. “Where do you want to start?”

The amusing first meeting of my characters Freniden and Petalia, who feature pretty largely in later books. This would be about a year before the two of them set off from the city together, Fren on his officially sanctioned Travel Period, Tali running away to follow in the footsteps of her older sister.
Speaking of that particular relative, I'll be posting in segments a short story about her, along with some more Aylon stuff when I get around to it.
Foul Fall weather has finally arrived in central Texas, and the sore throat it's given me leads to my opinion that it could have waited a bit longer.
Hope that you're enjoying the season,
-Triscribe